I got this bachmann steamer 4-8-4 with the wiring disconnected. i just can’t seem to get it right. the motor runs strong connected directly, but trying to get the current through the tender, to the motor escapes me. any help would be appreciated. thanks
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See the note about getting the tender trucks lined up correctly (try insulated wheels on the engineer’s side). Find and note what side the engine ‘picks up power from’ – the tender wheel pickups go opposite this to get a long span, precluding dropouts on bad or dirty sections.
The wiring from engine to tender can be done with two wires. The wire from the tender ‘pickups’ goes to the opposite side of the motor. I presume this isn’t a DCC engine.
I don’t quite understand “The wiring from engine to tender can be done with two wires. The wire from the tender ‘pickups’ goes to the opposite side of the motor.”
the tender connects with a metal bar and springy wire that carries the current from the wheels on the tender to the loco. the poles of the motor are on the top and bottom. there is a ground screw located on the top of the frame. my assumption was that the wheels on one side of the tender carried current to the “coupler”. and the wheels on the opposite side of loco carry to the other side of the track. I cleaned the wheels on the tender and tested OK to the coupler. It seems like it should be pretty straight forward but i am missing something… 
Okay, this is pretty simple: this is a more traditional “non-DCC-friendly” locomotive. The wire he mentioned from the tender pickups is the same as the wire on the drawbar, and the other one is internally grounded by the locomotive.
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apparently someone switched the wheels on the loco so that it created a short. when i put power to the track it sparked but no motion. didn’t think that was good. 
switched a couple around and the sparking stopped. now i just how to get the connection from the tender to the motor closed. thanks
Sure, I’ve seen that a few times. Now the issue would be why there seems to be a break in the contact somewhere between the motor and the wheels. Since you tested it, I’d check and make sure that that wire is making contact everywhere it needs to.
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shazam! It ain’t pretty, but it is running now. I “hot wired” the tender connection to the top pole on the motor. Now to road test it. thanks for the suggestion.
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